EIGHTY EIGHT, KY — The Kentucky State Police (KSP) is reporting that on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the KSP Electronic Crime Branch arrested Steven Ray Hurt, 57, on charges related to child sexual abuse material.
Mr. Hurt was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspect sharing images of child sexual exploitation online.
The investigation resulted in a search warrant at a residence in Eighty Eight, KY on July 18, 2024. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation is ongoing.
Steven Hurt is currently charged with:
- One count of possession of a child sex doll (Class-D felony punishable by one to five years in prison)
- Ten counts of distribution of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance under twelve years old
- Ten counts of possession of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance under twelve years old (Class-C felonies punishable by five to ten years in prison)
- One count of promoting a minor under 16 years old in a sex performance (Class-B felony punishable by ten to twenty years in prison)
Mr. Hurt was lodged in the Barren County Detention Center.
The Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is comprised of more than twenty-six local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the United States Department of Justice and administrated by the Kentucky State Police, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing a response to cyber enticement and child sexual abuse material investigations. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity of predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.
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